Device for articles of clothing or washable undergarments



March 21, 1939. J, BONNER 2,151,652

DEVICE FOR ARTICLES OF CLOTHING OR WASHABLE UNDERGARMENTS- Filed Dec. 1}1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l J Donner ImIerIZ JMWg? March 21, 1939. J. DONNER2,151,652

DEVICE FOR ARTICLES 0F CLOTHING OR WASHABLE UNDERGARMENTS Filed Dec. 1,1937v 2 Shets-Sheet 2 J Donner" Iryzfflfd Patented Mar. 21, 1939 PATENTOFFICE DEVICE FOR ARTICLES OF CLOTHING OR WASHABLE UNDERGARMENTS JosefDonner, Vienna,

Austria, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Dorothy Hoffman-Donner, Vienna, AustriaApplication December 1, 1937, Serial No. 177,630 In Austria January 11,1937 3 Claims.

This invention relates to garments made of fibrous materials, andparticularly to articles of underwear, of the type having one or moreconstituent parts (collar, cuffs, or the like) attached with the use ofcontinuous means of attachment, preferably a sewn seam, said parts beingadapted to be detached, when they have become defective through use, andreplaced by spare parts.

In the known garments of this description the joint between the parts tobe detached from each other is formed by the non-bound and looselyfolded over fabric plies of at least one of the parts, and thatirrespectively of whether the marginal portions thereof are folded overeach other or joined by mere overlapping. In spite of the fact that thesevering of the uniting means (primarily sewn seams) is effected withthe aid of an implement, the fold of the known bound fabric plies, withthese known garments, inevitably becomes unfolded inthe process ofdetachment, with the result that this marginal portion has to berearranged and put ready again for the attachment of the spare part. I

The same principle is embodied in a wearable underwear garment which isprovided with a non-tearing tape inserted in the joint and left withboth ends projecting, for the purpose of enabling the seam, which passesthrough the non-tearing tape, to be ripped open without the use of asevering implement. Since the edge of the garment to which thedetach-able part is made fast is neither strengthened nor bound, whilethe likewise non-bound plies of the spare part, e. g. of the cuff orneck-band, are merely loosely inserted, the pulling force exerted to ripthe seam open puts a severe strain upon the material of the garment andtends to lead to injury thereof. Apart from this objection, it is alsonecessary, in attaching the spare part, to fold the marginal portionsand to bring them into their proper relative positions, which requiresconsiderable skill and time. Moreover the grippable ends of thenon-tearing tape sticking out of the garment at the sides spoils theneat appearance of the garment.

It has also been proposed to provide a detachable facing on the parts ofgarments most subject to wear and tear in use. This arrangement howeverit uncomfortable, clumsy, and detrimental to fit.

The present invention provides for the rapid and effortless detachmentof replaceable parts of garments made of fibrous materials, and thatwithout any risk of injury tothe marginal portion 55 of the garment. Toachieve this result the marginal portions involved in such dissolublejoint or seam, or at least the marginalportion of the main body of thegarment at such joint or seam, is finished off in itself, independentlyof the detachable part, so as to be capable of withstanding the pullingforce exerted in ripping the means of attachment without sustaininginjury. The invention also covers particular structural features of thejoint between the parts to be separated or detached from each other.

Three forms of construction embodying the invention are'shown, by way ofexample, in the accompanying drawings, in which:--

Fig. 1 shows, in perspective view, a shirt provided with a detachablecollar in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 11-11 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows the neck-band in cross-section, and

Fig.4 the shirt during the act of detaching the collar, in perspectiveview, according to the first form of construction.

Fig. 5 shows a shirt with detachable collar according to a secondmodified form of construction, in elevation, with the outer collarunfolded, while Fig. 6 shows the same during the operation of detachingthe collar by tearing.

Fig. 7 is a cross-section of the turned-down collar.

Fig. 8 shows the third form of construction embodying the invention, inelevation, during the operation of detaching the collar by tearing.

The shirt shown in Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings is provided in aconventional manner with a neckband A (shirt collar) attached to thesaddle portion of the shirt. The outer ply a and the inner ply b of thematerial of which the neck-band is made are each attached, by means ofan inturned or whip seam c, to a lining e and 11, respectively, whichlinings extend into the interior of the neckband. The two plies of theneck-band are attached independently to their respective linings, sothat the finished neck-band A presents a channell or groove j which isopen and accessible from above, and into which the shorter inner flap 9of the outer collar or collar proper B may be inserted. In order that itneed not be necessary to adjust the collar B into the proper positionrelatively to the neck-band A, and to obtain the required adjustmentautomatically, the two sides of the neck-band are attached together, bya quilting seam h at a distance from the mouth of the channel or pocket1 appropriate to the height of the inner collar flap g, which is lessthan that of the neck-band A. The seam the stitches of which passthrough the plies of material a, b and also the plies of lining d, 6,thus limits and defines the depth of the pocket 1 and furnishes anabutment for the lower edge of the inner collar flap a. Before thecollar B is inserted in the channel f of the neck-band A there isattached to the inner flap 9 of the collar, at the side destined to comein contact with the outer ply a of the neck-band, by means of stitchingi, a ripup element k e. g. a non-breakable tape, a strong thread, cord,or the like, which preferably extends over the entire length of thecollar, and of which a portion is left hanging out, for example in theform of a loop Z, to serve for grasping and pulling at this rip-upelement. The uniting of the collar B to the neck-band A is effected bymeans of a single strong seam m, for example a quilting seam, which runsnear the upper edge of the neckband A, and which passes through theouter plies a, b, the lining plies d, e, the inner flap g of the collarB, and the tape it. The tag 1 of the rip-up tape 70 hangs transverselyout of the opening of the neck-band groove 1, and remains freelyaccessible between the collar B and the neck-band A. In spite of the useof a single uniting seam m without any additional uniting seam, perfectfit and lie of the collar B is obtained, since in the first place thelower edge of the inner flap g of the collar bears firmly against thesholulders formed by the seam h so that rocking of the flap 9 inside theneck-band A is impossible, while in the second place the seam h stiffensthe neck-band A in its upper part. This latter effect is achieved byreason of the fact that the stitches of this seam h hold together allthe plies a, b, d, and e which make up the neck-band A, so that no oneof these plies can bulge or bunch independently of the others, andcollapsing of the neck-band is rendered impossible.

If it is desired for any reason, for instance because of wear or damage,to renew the collar B it is merely necessary to exert a pull on the tag1 of the rip tape is which immediately causes the uniting seam m tobegin to be ripped open. This procedure, which becomes progressivelyeasier as the rip tape becomes more and more exposed and the collar moreand more detached, is continued until the collar B is completelydetached from the neck-band A. The progressive ripping up of the unitingseam m required but slight force and may be effected rapidly and withoutthe least harm to the neck-band A, the more so since the rip tape Itbrings about progressive rupturing of the stitches of the uniting seamm, and the force exerted in the process is easily taken up by this tapeand by the neck-band A reinforced by the linings d, e and by theassembling seam h. As soon as the collar has been detached from theshirt a spare collar may be inserted in the groove 1 of the neck-band A,using the assembling seam h as an abutment for determining the properposition of the collar relatively to the neck-band, and then sewnthereto.

The shirts shown in Figs. 5 to 7 difier from that shown in Figs. 1 to 4only by the fact that the rip tape 70 extending over the entire lengthof the collar is replaced by a rip element 1' e. g. a nonbreakable tapeor the like, which is provided only at some one point across the unitingseam m and held in position by a few of the stitches of this seam. Thisrip element is preferably inserted at the inner side of the'main fold ofthe collar B, before the seam m is put in, with its end between theinner flap g and the neck-band A in the groove f. This rip element rdisposed transversely of the uniting seam m projects with its upperporof the neck-band A. To facilitate manipulation of the rip element r,and to save it from fraying, this element may be laid in a loop withboth ends inserted in the neckband A and held fast by the uniting seam.

To detach the collar B it is first necessary to pull the rip element 1'out of engagement with the collar. This operation involves ripping outthe stitches of the uniting seam m which pass through the rip element,as a result of which a gap is formed in the connection between thecollar B and the neck-band A which may then be extended for instance bythe insertion of a finger. By pulling at the parts as shown in Fig. 6 ofthe drawings the remainder of the seam m may then be easily ripped open,with the result that the collar is detached from the neck-band. Thesetion beyond the edge operations require the expenditure of but verylittle force, more particularly seeing that in the first place the ripelement 1' is only held fast by a few stitches, while in the secondplace the provision of the groove of limited depth allows of the use ofbut a single uniting seam m to be ripped In further development of theinvention, owing to the uniting of the collar to the neck-band by meansof only one single seam, it is possible to dispense altogether with theuse of rip facilitating means such as k or r, and to effect detachmentof the collar from the neck-band by ripping the seam m starting from oneend thereof, as shown in Fig. 8. The completely finished off neck-bandA, which is reinforced by the assembling seam H near the point ofmaximum stress, is of greater strength than the uniting seam m, and forthis reason the ripping open of the uniting seam does not involve anydanger of injury to the neck-band or putting an undue strain thereon.

It will be clear that any portion of a garment or article of linen,which it may be desired to make detachable, particularly the cuifs, maybe attached, with or without the use of a rip element is or r, by makingthe part of the garment to which such portion is directly attached inthe manner according to the invention. This applies more particularly tomaking the cufi-band on the sleeve with a groove or pocket of thedescribed type for the insertion of the cuff with a View to itssubsequent detachment and replacement by a fresh cuff in the mannerdescribed.

Instead of making the groove or packet f on the neck-band, or the like,e. g. on the main body of the garment, to receive the collar-cuff, orother detachable part, the procedure may be reversed, that is to say thegroove or pocketed edge may be provided on the detachable part and theband or other edge of the main body of the garment be inserted andsecured therein.

It is also possible to dispense with uniting seams altogether, and tosecure the detachable parts by means of adhesive.

I claim:

1. A garment comprising a main section, removable side sections,marginal portions at the joints of said sections, at least one stitchedseam to connect the same, means to tear said seam apart for the removaland replacement of said side sections, the marginal portion of the mainsection being provided with turned in and secured edges independently ofthe connecting seam.

A garment comprising a main section, removable side sections, a tearingstrip for the removal of the same, marginal portions at the joints ofsaid sections, at least one of said sections being groove-shaped for theinsertion into said groove of the joining marginal portion of the othersection and having groove forming flaps, at least one stitched seam toconnect the flaps of the one section, the inserted marginal portion ofthe other section and the tearing strip, said flaps bein provided withturned in and secured edges per se and independently of said connectingseam.

3. A garment comprising a main section, removable side sections, atearing strip for the removal of the same, marginal portions at thejoints of said sections at least one of said sections beinggroove-shaped for the insertion into said groove of the joining marginalportion of the other section and having groove forming flaps, at leastone stitched seam to connect the flaps of the one section, the insertedmarginal portion of the other section and the tearing strip, said flapsbeing provided with turned in and secured edges per se and independentlyof said connecting seam, said tearing strip being provided with aprojecting loop, said loop being located on a point between the ends ofsaid tearing strip and being folded onto the latter.

J OSEF DONNER.

